Metallic railroad-tie



(No Model.)

W. J.- STIFLER.

METALLIC RAILROAD TIE.

Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

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lUNiTE STATES i AnNr FlFlCE;

WILLIAM J. STIFLER, OF BRIDGETON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL M. MANIFOLD, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLIC RA|LROAD-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,492, dated October 23, 18188.

Application filed January 14, 1888. Renewed September 25, 1888. Serial No. 286,388. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. STIFLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeton, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railroad-Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to metallic railroadties, and has for its object the construction of a cheap and durable tie which cannot be easily displaced, and is provided withasimple and effective means for securing the rails to the tie.

, The invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a plan view. Fig. 2 is a perspective of a sill; Fig. 3, an inverted plan of the same; and Fig. 4:, a top or plan view of one of the chairs.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters marked thereon, A represents the tie, which may be made of cast or wrought iron or steel, and of any desired width and thickness. The bottom of the tie is provided with a series of grooves, a, which are arranged at an angle to the length of the tie and in opposite directions on each side of the longitudinal center thereof. By grooving the bottom of the tie in opposite directions the earth or ba1- last will pack closely in the grooves and prevent the tie from being displaced accidentally.

On the upper side or top of the tie and at each end are two chairs, B 0, one of which is secured to the tie permanently by rivets b, of suitable size,which pass through the chair and the tie. The other chair is secured to the tie at one end by a rivet, cl, upon which the chair swings, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to facilitate the seating of the rail. After the rail has been placed in position, the pivoted chair is swung in line with the sill and secured by a bolt, 6, which is passed through the tie and the chair from the bottom of the tie and held by a nut, f, which is locked by any suitable device.

In practice the tie is raised by any suitable means and the bolt 6 inserted, after which the tie is permanently seated and ballast tamped under and around its edges. By inserting the bolt 6 from the under side of the tie it is impossible for the chair to be tampered with by evil designing persons without raising the track itself, which could not be easily done without liability of being detected in the act. Furthermore, the solid ballast in which the tie is embedded will prevent the bolt from being displaced should the nut become displaced by an accident.

The chairs are provided with projections g, which engage with the flange h of the rail 1), and the chair B has a seat with a shoulder, i, which extends across the entire width of the chair., This additional width of the projection or seat on the chair B is to compensate for the greater strain or pressure brought to bear on the outer surface of the rail in the tendency of the track to spread.

To provide for engagement with the fishplate in common use,or rails provided with slots in the base, some of the chairs have a projection, is, formed on them, which enters the recess Z on the fish-plate or rail, and to provide for the excessive strain brought to bear upon the curves of the track some of the chairs are provided with a higher and. heavier projection, in, which bears against the web of the rail and against the lower side of the head, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The chairs may be made of cast or malleable iron, or they may be made of steel or wroughtiron and drop-forged, and the chair, which is permanently attached to the tie by rivets, may, if desired, be forged integral with the tie in casting or otherwise forming the tie.

By the construction shown a very safe and durable track may be laid, which will notbe liable 'to become deranged by use, and which cannot be easily tampered with by malicious persons, while a tie may be readily removed, should it become necessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A metallic railroad-tie having grooves in its bottom which cross the tie diagonally and in opposite directions on each side of the center, substantially as described.

2. A metallic railroad-tie, in combination with two chairs at each end, one of which is permanently secured thereto and the other pivotally connected and secured by a bolt 5 passing through the tie and one end of the chair, substantially as described.

3. A metallic railroad-tie, in combination with two chairs at each end, one of which is permanently secured and provided with a :0 shoulder extending across the entire width of the chair and the other pivotally connected, provided with a seat which extends part way across, and secured to the tie by a bolt passing through the tie and one end of the chair from the bottom of the tie, substantially as de- 1 scribed.

4. A metallic railroad-tie and a fish-plate, in combination with two chairs at each end, one of which is permanently secured and provided with a lateral and a vertical projection 20 and the other pivotally connected and secured by a removable bolt,substantially as described. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. STIFLER. Witnesses:

S. A. TERRY, TM. E. DYRE. 

